


Kingdom Hearts: Shards of Darkness 2

by shuubunni



Series: Kingdom Hearts: Shards of Darkness [3]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Added Worlds, Aged-Up Character(s), F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, No Generic Disney Chars Sorry Folks, Polyamory, Removed Worlds, Retelling, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:56:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28716909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shuubunni/pseuds/shuubunni
Summary: Sora, Ashi and Shidou return for further adventures in the universe! With the mysterious Organization XIII now looming at their heels, they must save the worlds from the threat of Nobodies as well as the Heartless. But with the hidden machinations of other forces at work showing their hands, they dive deeper into a world of deep seeded darkness, far deeper than they ever thought possible...
Relationships: Kairi (Kingdom Hearts)/Original Female Character(s), Riku (Kingdom Hearts)/Original Female Character(s), Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Sora (Kingdom Hearts)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Kingdom Hearts: Shards of Darkness [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1275764





	Kingdom Hearts: Shards of Darkness 2

**Author's Note:**

> No Chain of Memories as it is roughly the same as it would be in canon :3

She had to find him...she  _ had  _ to  _ find  _ him!! 

It had been almost a year since Ansem’s defeat and the world had been restored, and since Ashi-no-Hotaru had been separated from Sora. It had been almost a year since he had vanished without a trace, and everyone had forgotten him. Including her. It wasn’t until four months ago that she had regained her memories of Sora, of her adventures and her love for him, thanks to the book of memories he had gifted to her. 

But that wasn’t the biggest issue. Everyone  _ else _ still didn’t remember him. Even when she showed them the book. Even when she talked to them about what he had done. Nobody remembered Sora, no matter what Ashi did. Something bad had happened, she knew it. But Ashi couldn’t find Shidou’s homeworld, either, not that it would do her any good. She wouldn’t remember, either. 

So she scoured the worlds for clues. Hollow Bastion, the home of Yuna, Leon, and the others, was a bust. Ashi tried to find Sora’s homeworld, but had no luck. She went throughout the worlds they had visited, but nobody remembered him. They recalled her clear as day, Shidou as well, but nobody else was with them. 

“There’s got to be something!” 

Ashi slammed her fists on the pile of books she was standing by. Merlin, a wizard she had encountered in Hollow Bastion and a friend of the others, jumped backwards. 

“Careful now, some of these books are older than I am!” He huffed, bending down to pick them up from whence they fell. 

“I can’t  _ stand _ it! Nothing I look for mentions mass amnesia of one person.” Ashi chucked the book she was reading against the wall. She had returned to trudge through the resources of the Worlds and magic to see if there was anything -  _ anything at all _ \- that could help her. 

Merlin sputtered and rushed after the beaten book, gathering it up and quickly checking the binding. The others looked at each other, then back at her with concern. 

“Ya sure you didn’t just dream him up?” Bartz offered. “Whoa!” He jumped out of the way of a blast of lighting that hit the spot where he was standing. Ashi glared at him.

“I spent a  _ year of my life _ with him!” Ashi thrust her arm out to the side. “How could I have possibly just imagined him? He did so much...sealed the Keyholes, saved all of the fallen worlds...he changed me. For the better.” She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed unhappily. “I fell in love with him. Tell me, does that sound like a dream, a  _ shadow? _ You all interacted with him too!” 

Yuna pressed a hand to her chin. “We believe you, of course.” She gave Bartz a pointed look, who merely shrugged. “But whatever is causing all of us to forget this Sora person is incredibly powerful magic. Unlike any I have ever experienced.” She lowered her hand. “He must be incredibly important to you if you broke the spell that has us all entwined in it.”

“He means more to me than life itself.” Ashi responded without hesitation. “Which is why I need to find him, as soon as possible.” She looked back at the stack of books, lining Merlin’s side of the study. “He has to be in danger! Why else would everyone forget him? Why else would he be  _ missing? _ I can’t feel him anywhere.” 

“Now now, let’s not jump to conclusions!” Merlin waved his staff in the air. “You say the lad is a Keyblade wielder, yes yes?” 

“He is.” Ashi met the wizened old man’s gaze. 

“Now, it takes more than a few Heartless to bring someone of that caliber down!” He nodded and stroked his long beard. “Besides, the Heartless have returned to the Realm of Darkness, where they belong, thanks to Kingdom Hearts being sealed up, nice and tight. And with Ansem gone, I’m sure we have nothing to fear. He may just be off training someplace, and a spell went awry.” 

“For  _ eight months? _ ” Ashi narrowed her eyes. 

“Err...well it’s been known to happen?” He shrugged. Ashi sighed and hung her head. “Still, I’d suggest going to a world near-by.” He totaled over to the chalkboard. “One of my old friends, another sorcerer, lives by it. Err, what was his name, Archimedes?” 

“Who, who? What what?” The owl narrowed his eyes at Merlin. “ _ Which _ sorcerer are you talking about, old bean?” 

“Oh, you know! The one with the mysterious tower, and the hat.” He gestured towards his hat. 

“They  _ all  _ wear hats, silly goose.” Archimedes huffed. “And more than one has a mysterious tower!” 

“Ah, right, Yen Sid!” He doodled on the board and drew a map of the stars. 

“Oh, him. Doesn’t his tower move where he pleases?” Archimedes tilted his head upside down. 

“Oh, come now. You know he hasn’t moved it in the past, erm, ten years or so!” Merlin gave a dismissing wave of his off hand, still drawing a star chart. 

“Isn’t that when the other Keyb--”

“Hush, now, Archimedes.” Another dismissive wave. “I must concentrate on this map for dear Ashi-san.” The owl huffed and turned his head right side up and began to preen himself. 

Ashi walked over and gently pat Archimedes on the head. “What were you going to say?” She asked in a hushed tone. Archimedes narrowed his eyes at Merlin, who was humming while he continued to doodle. 

“Oh, well, about ten years ago, a few--” 

“All done!” Merlin finished and whipped around, grabbing Ashi’s hand and dragging her over to the chalkboard. 

“I was trying to explain something--” Archimedes huffed, but nestled into his feathers. “Oh, nevermind.” 

“We are here, in Hollow Bastion.” He pointed at one of the dots, forming a constellation. “Here is where you want to go.” Merlin pointed at another star in the same constellation. “It’s a world called Twilight Town. Somehow my friend, a great sorcerer named Yen Sid, is connected to that world. Go seek him out, he may have some answers for you that I don’t.” 

Ashi blinked, memorizing the map. “How do you know he would? Aren’t you hundreds of years old?” She asked, looking over towards Merlin. 

“Well, Yen Sid may be younger than I am, but he simply has access to knowledge I don’t!” Merlin nodded his head, “You see, he used to be a Keyblade Master.” 

\------

When Ashi touched down on Twilight Town, she found it a pleasant place to be. 

It wasn’t as technologically advanced or as magical as Hollow Bastion was, but it was pretty and very...quaint? Yes, that was the word. The sun was setting over the city, and she slid down off of the rooftop she was on into a back alley so no one would see her. Calling her wings back into her, she stepped out onto the sun soaked street and began to look around. 

If she were a magical wizard tower, where would she be…

Nothing felt out of the ordinary, so she merely began to walk. 

The people here wore very comfortable, relaxed clothing and all stared at her when she walked past. Of course they did. She must look like a right nutter walking around amongst them, since she wore the more outlandish, exotic clothing she wore back home. Half kimono on one side, her other side bare and exposing a sleeveless and backless wrap top that tied around the back of her neck. The half kimono looped into her belt, a teal sash that tied into a bow at her waist, where a half skirt hung with three flaps that dragged on the ground. Baggy pants tucked into ankle wraps that also wrapped around her bare feet. On her left arms she had hand wraps on, on her right, where the half kimono was, she just had a small glove on. Of course, she still wore her scarf, hiding the birthmark on her neck. 

Tossing her now mid-back length hair over her shoulder, Ashi ignored the stares and continued forward. Best not to ask the locals where a mysterious, magical tower was. She was getting enough stares as she was. She was just thankful she had hidden her weapons in a pocket dimension where she could call upon them as she wanted...otherwise she might get arrested. No way was she looking for Sora without a veritable armory with her. 

Nothing struck her senses as odd, not until she climbed the steps towards what looked like some kind of train station (thank you, television, for showing her what a train was in the first place). There was a large bell tower and a huge courtyard before the station. Something felt...off...here. Like there were magical ley lines around. She just had to find the source and follow it, and she could find this Yen Sid and his tower and--

There was an underlying darkness. 

Narrowing her eyes, Ashi held her hand out and pulled out one of her katana. Drawing it from its sheath, she held it at the ready, her one good eye looking around and trying to spot the source. It didn’t feel like a Heartless, but it was enough to set the hairs on the back of her head on end. Who was it?  _ What _ was it? Where--

_ There! _

Leaping up, she slashed her katana outwards. There was a loud  _ clang _ of metal against metal, and she found herself face to face with a figure clad in a black cloak. A black hood was drawn up over their face, obscuring it from view And--

“Keyblade?!” She exclaimed, seeing the weapon she was up against. 

“Xion!” A voice called from behind her. Whipping around, she called her second katana and blocked the oncoming attack, another  _ clang _ ringing out across the quiet plaza. Ashi’s eyes widened as she saw the  _ second _ offending weapon.

“Another Keyblade?!” But how?! And they both looked like Sora’s--! 

“You...I know you…” The second black-coat cald figure whispered, a male voice coming from the hood. It wasn’t familiar to Ashi. “But how? I don’t have any memories!” 

“Tell me who you are!” Ashi exclaimed, shoving the Keyblade from her katana. “If you wield the Keyblade, I am not your enemy!” 

“You first!” The second figure lashed out at her, and she parried the attack again. By now the first black coat shoved her katana off and lashed out with a grunt. Ashi met the Keyblade with her katana, finding herself caught between two mysterious Keyblade wielders.

“My name is Ashi-no-Hotaru. Do either of you know Sora?” 

Silence. 

“Whose Sora?” The second asked in a sharp tone. Damn! Did they forget, or did they really not know him? But, he lowered his weapon and took a step back from her. “Xion, I don’t think we should fight her.” 

“But, Roxas, she--” The voice from behind Ashi was female, young sounding. 

“She might have been able to sense us, but I don’t think she’s an enemy.” 

The first figure, Xion, paused. Sighing, she lowered her Keyblade. “Alright.” 

Ashi lowered her katana as well. Though she sensed darkness from these two, it was...different. Not consuming them; not evil. And it felt...hollow. Like something was missing from them. Something very important. Xion went to join Roxas, and Ashi noted how short both of them were, especially Xion. By the Gods, they were just children, weren’t they? 

“I introduced myself, now who are you?” 

Roxas lowered his hood. Before her stood a teenaged boy, not much older than 15 or 16, with dark blue eyes and bright blonde hair. It was spiked up towards one side, turning upwards, with spiky bangs that fell into his eyes. He called off his Keyblade. 

“Roxas.” He gestured towards himself. “You’ve got a lot of darkness in you, but you’re not with the Heartless, huh?”

“No, I fight the Heartless.” Ashi informed, narrowing her eyes. “Are they back? I thought we sealed them back in the Realm of Darkness.” 

“Well, it didn’t work.” Roxas crossed his arms, “We’ve been fighting them.” 

“Roxas, should we be telling her that?” Xion asked nervously. He shrugged his shoulders. “Oh, I’m Xion.” She lowered her hood too. Ashi gasped and took a step back.

“S...Sora…?!” 

Before her stood Sora...or someone that  _ looked _ like him. Xion, despite sounding female, carried Sora’s face. And hair. She looked just like Sora, actually, from the skin to the freckles to face, except for the eye and hair color. Her eyes were more of a periwinkle blue and her hair was soft black color. Xion took a step back and held her hands to her chest - a clearly female chest from the looks of it. 

“No, not again!” She exclaimed, looking frightened with wide eyes and her brows knitted in worry.

Roxas held a protective arm out in front of her. “I don’t care what you see, she isn’t this ‘Sora’ person.” He snapped at Ashi. “This is Xion. No one else!!” 

Ashi felt like her heart was breaking. How could this be? Xion wore Sora’s face and hair, but it was clearly not him. She was a girl, but Sora was a boy and...Roxas felt  _ familiar _ too, somehow. Both of them wielded Sora’s Keyblade. They had to have a connection to him! Somehow! She was right to have come here! Finally, a clue that would lead her to her beloved. 

“Please, you must know something about Sora…!” 

Xion looked fearfully up at Ashi, tears forming in her eyes. “N-no, stay away!” Roxas quickly flew to her side and wrapped his arms protectively around her. 

“It’s okay, we’re not going to tell her anything.” He assured, rubbing her shoulders. He then snapped his attention back to Ashi and glared at her. “I told you before, we don’t know anything about any Sora!” 

“But you both wield his Keyblade! And she looks just like him!” 

Roxas gritted his teeth together, “I  _ told  _ you!” 

“Leave us alone!” Xion broke free from Roxas’ grasp and began to run off.

“Xion!” He shouted, rushing after her. He shot a glare at Ashi over his shoulder. 

Shit! They were running off! And they were the closest Ashi had gotten to Sora since she had recovered her memories of him! She wasn’t about to let them get away. Rushing after them, she charged as fast as she could, only to see them opening portals of darkness and heading into them.

“No, no, no!!” She shouted, double timing it to make it in after the pair. 

Suddenly, one opened in front of her. A tall, lanky man, dressed in the same black coat, slid out of it and smirked. “Imma have to stop you there.” 

“Wha--” Ashi skidded to a halt before him. Blood red hair was swept back in spiky layers from his forehead, and bright green eyes looked down at her playfully. Upside down teardrop tattoos were on his cheeks. In each hand he carried large, spiked chakrams. He smirked, hoisting one over his shoulder.

“Looks like you’ve gone and scared the kids off.” The tall man commented in a casual tone. “Such a shame, ya’know you could’ve been their friends if you tried.” 

“Get out of my way!” Ashi summoned her katana and swung at him, but the man leaped out of the way, jumping backwards from the arc. “I will not let you hinder me from finding Sora!” 

“Who said I was trying to stop you?” The man shrugged. “What the kiddos said was true - they ain’t know nothin’ about Sora. You’re barking up the wrong tree.” 

Ashi gripped her katana. “But you would?” 

“I would!” The man grinned broadly at her. He lowered his hand from his shoulder. “But you ain’t going to get it so easily from me, dark firefly.” 

“How do you know who I am?” Ashi asked, as he knew the (rough) translation of her name. 

The man cackled. “Oh, we  _ all _ know who  _ you  _ are.” He looked over his shoulder, “Except for Roxas and Xion, of course.” He turned back towards her and smirked, his eyes flaring with murderous intent. “But I ain’t gunna let you get to them, little firefly.” 

“And who the hell  _ are _ you, anyway?” Ashi struck a ready position with her katana. 

“The name’s Axel. Got it memorized?” He tapped his forehead with his index finger. 

Ashi raised a brow. “What? Is that some kind of a schtick?” 

“Wha-- Oh, you…!” Fire suddenly sprung up behind him and he snapped his chakrams to the side. “I’m going to  _ enjoy _ watching your fire burn out!” 

“I guess we get to see which one of us burns brighter,  _ Axel _ .” 

The two launched off of the ground at the same time. Ashi drew back her katana and Axel one of his chakrams. The two weapons met each other with a sharp  _ clang _ . Ashi pushed the chakram aside but he was quick to bring the other down on her, bringing it close to her head. With her speed, though, she ducked under it and it whizzed over her head. But the other one was coming back around and she met it with her katana, also knocking it aside. 

Swinging his arm back around, Axel brought both of his chakrams down together on Ashi, who caught them with the blade of her katana. Holding it steady with both hands on the hilt, she glared up at him. Why were they fighting, anyway? She hadn’t done anything to provoke him! Aside from making a snide comment about his dumb “got it memorized” schtick. Was he really so easily offended?

“I’m not your enemy!” Ashi hissed, sliding the chakrams off of her blade again and taking a swipe at Axel’s stomach. He leaped backwards and held his weapons down at his sides. A relaxed pose, but with surprisingly little openings. 

“Heh, so you think.” Axel said with a relaxed smirk. He drew one of his chakrams back. “But trust me, little firefly...you’ll be seeing things  _ quite differently _ soon enough.” He then chucked the spiked wheel at her, where it caught fire. 

Ashi leaped to the side to avoid it, but Axel threw the second one at her. She backfliped over it, where it just whizzed under her. She could feel the heat of the fire burning right below her, singeing her hair and some of her draped garments. Landing in an offensive position, she charged. 

If he wanted a fight…!

Charging her blade with electricity, she lashed out at him. Axel jumped backwards, where his chakrams flew into his hands. The pair exchanged blows with their respective weapons, neither one of them gaining ground against each other; she’d parry or dodge his attacks, he’d do the same with hers. It seemed they were evenly matched in every regard. Axel was just as fast as she was, something she hadn’t seen in a very long time. Anyone who might have stumbled in on their fight might have been awe-struck at how fast the pair of them were moving, swiping and swinging and dodging each other. 

How to gain some ground against this lanky bastard--! 

Suddenly, something yanked on his chakrams, pulling him backwards. “What the--!” Axel exclaimed, looking behind him.

“Awwrite, knock it off!” Came an all-too-familiar voice. 

“Shidou--?!” 

Yanking the chakram from Axel’s hand was a familiar face. Shidou stood behind Axel, her hair cut short and extra flipped in the back, but with the same bangs she always had. She wore a vest with yellow and lime green patterns on the front, and baggy green pants with a bag on one side. Long, tight black gloves were on her arms with orange-and-yellow arm warmers over it. She grabbed the captured chakram and dangled it from her fingertip, cocking her head and smirking over at Axel.

“Nobody messes with my buddies like that!” She then peered around him and waved at Ashi. “Hey, buddy!” She chirped. 

“Oh, uh...hey.” Ashi awkwardly waved. She didn’t expect to run across Shidou here! 

“Give that back!” Axel shouted. 

Shidou put her hand on her hip and popped it out. “Well, come and geddit!” She cackled and began to make a break for it. Axel ran after her. Ashi couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She had been seriously fighting this guy for ten, fifteen minutes without any give, and then Shidou just  _ stole his weapon _ . Well, one of them. And now he was chasing her around the plaza! Where the hell had she  _ come _ from, anyway?! 

Given his  _ much _ longer legs, Axel caught up to Shidou without any difficulty. Grabbing her by the collar of her vest, he scooped the gremlin girl up. 

“Hey, leggo!” Shidou flailed. “I’m a delicate lady!” Ashi snorted. There wasn’t anything  _ delicate  _ about Shidou. She wasn’t exactly a lady, either. Axel rolled his eyes and yoinked his chakram from her, and promptly dropped Shidou on the ground. 

“Ow! Jerk!” Shidou grunted, rolling over onto her butt. “What was that for?” 

Axel rolled his eyes and looked between the two women. Ashi struck an offensive pose and Shidou pushed herself to her feet, pulling her yo-yo’s back out and bouncing from foot to foot. Seeing as he was outnumbered and - given how he was evenly matched before with Ashi - outgunned, he sighed. 

“Well, this is a loss.” He scratched his head. “I suppose I’ll take my leave.” Calling off his chakrams, he gave a dramatic bow towards the girls.

“Wait, just like that?” Ashi narrowed her eyes, not dropping her guard down. “What the hell did you even fight me for?!” 

“Who knows?” Axel shrugged nonchalantly. “Let’s just say I had my reasons. But they’re my own! And now I’ll depart.” A dark porthole appeared behind him.

“Wait! What do you know about Sora?!” Ashi lowered her sword and began after him as he stepped back into it. 

“Sora? Oh he’s around here somewhere.” Axel looked around, then shrugged. “Dunno where, really. Nobody does.” He paused, and smirked. “But he’s safe, away from  _ us _ .” Chuckling, he vanished into the dark gate, the fissure closing in around him and disappearing from sight. 

“Wait! What do you mean ‘us?!’ Axel!” Ashi rushed towards where Axel was, but it was too late. He was gone, just like Roxas and Xion were. She clenched her fist. “Damnit!” She thrust it downwards. Silence filled the plaza before the tram station, Ashi merely standing there, shaking in fury and sorrow. 

“...Who the heckie is Sora?” 


End file.
